Manufacture of fish-hooks, needles, and other articles.



L. A. WHARRAD. MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS, NEEDLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1913.

Patnted May 26, 1914.

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L. A. WHARRAD. MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS, NEEDLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1913. 1,098, 1 98. Patented May 26, 1914.

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UNITED STATES FATENT @FFIQE.

LIONEL ALFRED WHARBAD, OF REDDITGH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR. TO WI-IARRAD ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, OF BEDDITGI-I, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF FISH-HOOKS, NEEDLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Application filed January 6, 1913.

' the manufacture of fish hooks, needles and other articles having a part of elliptical or like section; and has for its object to provide a means of manufacture whereby the elliptical part may be shaped bymechanical or automatic means in an exceedingly efficient and cheap manner.

My invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of a barbed fish hook. Such fish hooks are usually made from a length of wire the barb being produced by a chisel cut, the chisel entering the wire at an angle and raising up the barb. After the barb has been so produced the part in front of it is still of the same diameter say of an inch, this part being required to be pointed or shaped to an oval or elliptical section. Heretofore it has been the practice to do this wholly or partly by hand which is very expensive.

By this invention means are provided whereby this part may be shaped and finished by a mechanical process.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into practice I have appended hereunto two'sheets of drawings, upon which Figure 1 is a view of the barbed end of a fish hook for illustrating the pointing or shaping required by this process. Fig. 2 is a cross section through Fig. 1 on the line Fig. 3 is a similar cross section to that of Fig. 2 but on the line y-y. Fig. 4: is a plan of the cutting tool showing the means for gripping and feeding the hooks to the tool. Fig. 5 is a cross section through Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a part longitudinal section through the grippers.

According to this invention an improved cutting tool I) somewhat like a hob is employed. This tool 6 is preferably cylindrical, but it may be of taper form and starting from one end a spirally arranged cutting groove such as 0 is formed in same, such cutting groove commencing at c of the same Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Serial No. 740,462.

Width as the elliptical part a of the hook a Fig. 1, and gradually decreasing in width to the other end where the two sides of the groove practically meet to form the point a on the extreme end of the hook. A number of longitudinal grooves are preferably provided in the tool like a milling cutter in the divisions between which the cutting edges of the spiral groove are formed. Suitable sl1d1ng gripping means (Z are provided which hold the hooks a and carry them along the cutting tool 5 or the cutting tool may itself move endwise.

In operation the hook is placed, barb upward, in engagement with the wide end 0 of the groove and obviously when the tool is rotated it cuts away the surplus metal in the hook and if the hook is moved endwise in the direction of the arrow 6 along the splral groove it is clear that as the Width of the groove decreases so will the hook be narrowed or cut away to a point. If so desired the narrow end 0 of the cutting groove may be finished with a file or a grinding surface for the purpose of producing a finer and sharper point, and in cases where the tool is of taper form the smaller diameter may be arranged at the one end so as to expose the extreme point of the hook to a lesser portion of the circumference of the tool than is the case in the previous part of the operation, while the other end may be of a suitable diameter for the circumference to form the outer curve between the barb and the point. Any suitable form of traveling gripper may be employed as for example the plate d and slide al which are provided with slots 7 between which the hooks are placed and clamped by the clamping nuts 9. The gripper (Z is mounted to have an endwise traveling movement, such movement being effected by a screw it which is so geared in relation to the tool Z) as to cause the hooks to travel in a lateral direction proportionately to the spiral formation of the cutting grooves of the tool. The hooks a f The gripping .members (Z and operating screw may be made to be capable of being tilted at the end where the hooks are receiv ing their finishing process, so as to enable the position of the hooks to be adjusted with regard to the cutting parts of the tool in which case the screw rod it would be provided the end 72. with a universal joint. An extending table (Z is provided upon the slide (Z for the support of the ends of the hooks while being operated upon by the cutters, such extending table being also supported by a fixed part is.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 2 1. A machine for making fish-hooks, needles and similar articles, comprising in combination, a circular rotatable cutting member, having spiral ribs disposed in a longitudinal direction thereof, a helical groove cut in said cutting member, a table plate having means thereon for maintaining the stock in working position, and means whereby said table plate is caused to move in an angular longitudinal direction with respect to the axis of said cutting member.

2, A machine for making fish-hooks, needles and similar articles, comprising in combination, a circular rotatable cutting member, having spiral ribs disposed in a longitudinal direction thereof, a groove, varying in depth, cutin a hel'cal path around said cut ting member, a table plate having means thereon for clamping the stock in working position with respect to said cutting mem her, and means whereby said table plate is caused to move so that the stock travels in said groove.

3. A machine for making fish-hooks, needles and similar articles, comprising in combination, a cylindrical rotatable cutting tool having a helical groove on its outer surface, a clamping device having means for supporting the stock to be cut by said outting member, and a shaft, on which said device is supported. having its axis at an angle to the axis of said cutting member and provided with means for feeding said device longitudinally of said shaft.

4. A machine for making fish-hooks, needles and similar articles, comprising in combination, a cylindrical rotatable cutting tool, having on its surface spiral ribs longitudinally thereof, and a helical groove cut therein of variable width, a clamping device to guide the stock to be worked, in the helical groove, a table plate for holding said clamping device having its axis disposed at an angle to the axis of said cutting tool, and screw and nut means for feeding said stock along said helical groove.

5. A machine for making fish hooks, needles, and similar articles comprising in combination, a cylindrical rotatable cutting tool having spiral ribs thereon sharpened at one edge, and a helical groove cut therein of variable width, the edges of said grooves being sharpened, a clamping device to guide the stock in the path of said helical groove, a table structure for holding said clamping device and having its axis disposed at an angle to the axis of said rotatable cutting tool, and screw and nut means for feeding said stock along said helical. groove.

6. A machine for making fish hooks,

needles and similar articles comprising in combination, a rotatable member having a helical cutting groove of varying depth thereon, a table plate for supporting the stock to be cut, and means for adjustably holding said stock in working position on said plate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

LIONEL ALFRED KVHARRAD. lVitncsses ALFRED OWEN ROBINSON, THOMAS HENRY PooLn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 3). (3. 

